BBC's Carol Kirkwood 'permanently scarred' after being hit by car driver while cycling

BBC weather presenter Carol Kirkwood says she won't ride her bike on the road again after a driver hit her from behind last year, leaving her "permanently scarred".

The 59-year-old was hit by the driver of the car from behind while she was riding her bike near Slough, Berkshire, leaving her with a severe injury to her left knee.

Speaking to the Slough Observer, Kirkwood said: "My left knee was badly injured. It was cut down to the kneecap and some of my nerves were hanging out. I sent a picture of it to my boss and he said it looked like I’d been attacked by a shark.

"But I had a brilliant doctor in Wexham Park Hospital who sewed me back together again."

>>> Police release harrowing video of moment six-year-old cyclist hit by drug driver

Kirkwood, who brings a cheery smile to the weather on the BBC's Breakfast programme, said her helmet prevented her from face-planting the ground in the incident.

"I only bruised my nose because my helmet had a peak at the front, otherwise I would have face-planted. So I was lucky," she said.

The presenter added how the collision has completely knocked her confidence on the bike and that she is fearful of cycling on the road again. Before the incident, she took part in rides such as London to Brighton and the Palace to Palace, but now she focuses on walking and is looking to start running again.

"It was such a shock," Kirkwood said. "I had dreams about it and I still do. Sometimes, I still get upset talking about it. It’s not on my mind all the time, but I dream about being hit." 

"I’m permanently scarred. I’ve also lost some of the feeling in my knee in places, I’ve permanent damage to my thumb joint and scarring to my elbow."

Kirkwood did all her own physiotherapy work as the collision occurred in the middle of the Coronavirus lockdown last year, using her days off work to complete rehab to her injury in her permitted hour of outside exercise.